Los Angeles Times columnist Goerge Skelton published a column Thursday morning in which he marveled at the fact that Democrats in the state legislature cannot bring themselves to ensure the deportation of violent illegal alien felons.

In the column, Skleton declared his sympathy for the Democrats’ general aim, in “sanctuary state” legislation, of allowing illegal aliens to stay in the country. “OK. If they’re hard working and obeying the law, fine,” he wrote.

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Yet he noted that Democrats were shutting down “perfectly sensible” Republican bills that would allow — not require — local law enforcement to contact federal immigration officials if they were about to release an illegal alien who had already served a previous sentence. Instead of discussing the bill, though, Democrats in the State Assembly Public Safety Committee spent the entire debate discussing irrelevant national politics and attacking President Donald Trump.

The committee chair, Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer (D-Los Angeles), Skelton notes, launched into a discussion in which he compared Trump to Hitler and compared the present day to the 1930s and 1940s in Nazi Germany.

Skelton observes: “So a rational discussion about illegal immigration and crooks doesn’t seem likely.” Skelton also noted that the current legislation proposed by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), SB 54, does not actually fulfill his promise of keeping violent felons off the streets.

“The last thing California needs is more dangerous criminals. Send them packing. And Democrats should say that clearly,” Skelton concludes. He worries that unless Democrats make it clear that violent felons will be deported, reasonable citizens — as well as “the hotheads who are constantly riled up about all illegal immigration” — would have good cause to object to De León’s bill.

Separately, several mayors in San Diego County protested SB 54 on Thursday, according to local ABC News affiliate 10 News. One mayor was quoted as saying that the “sanctuary state” bill would “would sever the lines of communication between local law enforcement and state and federal agencies.”